Modifying a Stock Column - Keep Your Column

One of the benefits of building a fat-fendered rod or a postwar integrated-fender car is that you can get the performance advantages of an aftermarket independent front suspension setup without detracting from the retro appearance of the car. In the case of this small-block-powered '49 Plymouth, the car was modified with a new IFS suspension and rack-and-pinion steering system from Fatman Fabrications.

The owner wanted to retain the factory steering column because he felt an aftermarket column would alter the stock look of the interior, so he took the car to Hollywood Hot Rods in Burbank, California, for help.

Garrett Wilson from HHR modified the column to make it work, and, Garrett tells us, it's a relatively simple job. The stock column gets cut to the proper length, and attached at the floor with a mounting plate to prevent it from moving around. A universal joint at the lower end of the column connects to the lower steering shaft that extends to the Fatman system. There's a little more to it than that, but not much. We were there for half a day, following the procedure.